Conveyer bucket and means for closing the same



Dec. 24, I 929.

A. C. BENNETT CONVEYER 1,741,123 BUCKET AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE SAMEFiled Oct. 21. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 attozn ug Dec.

Wit u come 24, 1929. A. c. BENNETT GONVEYER BUCKET AND MEANS FOR CLOSINGTHE SAME Filed Oct. '21. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attorney Patented Dec.24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AZZEL C. BENNETT, 01E HUDSON, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO GIFFORD-WOOD COMPANY, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK Application filed October 21, 1925.

Serial No. 63,938.

This invention relates to a bottom-, sides of the aw 10, two triangularlink plates dumping bucket, adapted to be used as part of a trolleybucket conveyer, traveling crane or the like for handling coal, or othersimi- .lar fluent orsemi-fluent material.

The general object of the invention is to provide a bucket of this type,which is strong and durable and positive in its operation, which can beeasily controlled by a single line, and which can be automaticallyclosed and latched, and tripped and dumped, simply by raising andlowering.

The specific construction of one embodi- .ment of the invention and someof its advantages will be described in detail in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing thebucket open as it approaches filling position, and .also the chute andthe bucket-guiding means.

Figure .2 is a side elevation of the bucket with the bottom closed andlocked.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the bucket.

Figure 4 isa vertical longitudinal section.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the bucket has a body 5 ofstrong and rugged construction, open at the top and capable of beingopened at the bottom. The bucket is carried by a pivoted bail '6, havinga yoke 7 connected thereto, in which is mounted a sheave 8 through whichthe bucket supporting cable 9 passes. It will be understood thatthe-cable 9 isoperated by an engine to raise and lower the bucket, andthat another cable (not shown) is also poweractuated to cause the bucketto travel from place to place along a track, all as is known in theart'of traversing hoists.

The bottom of the body 5 is provided by two cooperating jaws 10 and 11,the sides of which extend upwardly on opposite sides of the body 5nearly to the top thereof, where they are pivotally supported on studs12 secured to the sides of the body. At opposite 18 are rigidly secured,each of which extends toward the upper part of the other jaw 11, and ateach side of the jaw 11, near its lower end, there is similarly secureda smaller link plate 1a. The link plates at each side of the bucket areconnected by a link 15, which is pivoted to pins 16 and 17 carried bythe apexes of the respective plates. These links and plates are soproportioned and located with respect to each other and to the pivots 12that the two jaws must open and close simultaneously, as will beunderstood by comparing Figs. 1 and 2.

At each side of the bucket, a pair of rollers 18 are journaled on studs19 carried on brackets 20, which are rigidly secured to the bucket.lNithin the pit, or adjacent the point where the bucket is to be loaded,converging guideways 21 are secured in such a position that when thebucket is lowered, preparatory to being filled, the bucket is guided bymeans of its rollers, and the bucket in upright position is carrieddownwardly in the direction of the arrow (4 in Figure 1. At this time,the jaws 10 and 11 will be open, and one of these jaws, as 10, isprovided on its bottom side with shoes 22 having curved outer edgesadapted to engage rollers 23, which are mounted in brackets 24 adjacentwhere the bucket comes to rest ready to be filled from a chute 25, orother means provided for that purpose. As the shoes 22 ride downwardlyover the rollers 23, due to the weight of the bucket, the jaw 10 isclosed, and by reason of the link plates 13 and 14 and links 15, the jaw11 is also closed.

The meeting edges of the jaws 10 and 11 are reinforced by suitable bars26. On one of the jaws, as 11, there are secured bearing members 27 inwhich is journaled a shaft 28, and secured to opposite ends of thisshaft are latches 29, which are adapted to engage a latch bar 30 securedbehind the bar 26 on the other jaw. When the jaws are open they andtransferred to the place where it is to be dumped. A number of trip pads32 are also secured to the shaft 29, and extend beneath and in spacedrelation to the latches 29, so that when the bucket is lowered fordumping, these trip pads come in contact with the material in the bin,or storage pile. This raises the latches and the weight of the materialin the bucket immediately spreads the jaws, so that as the bucket isagain raised they swing open, allowing theload to dis charge through thebottom with minimum shattering of the material comprising the load. Thebucket is then returned to loading position, and the cycle of operationis repeated.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the operation ofthe bucket is controlled entirely by the operator of the engine or motorwhich moves the bucket. No other attendant is needed, either for loadingor discharge, since only the hoisting rope is manipulated for looking orreleasing the latches.

The reinforced construction of the onepiece body and jaws gives thegreatest rigidity and strength, and the location of the pivot studs 12,near the top of the body, together with the shape of the jaws, permits alarge discharge opening with only a slight angular motion of the jaws.The link plates 13 and 14, which are rigidly connected to the aws, areconnected to each other at each side of 'the bucket by a stiff link 15.The jaws open and close simultaneously, and their connection is simpleand positive.

The location of the latches at the sides of the bucket, instead of onthe bottom, lessens the chance of damaging the latches when dropping thebucket onto the pile for discharging, and the double latches and trippads insure positive latching and tripping at all times. 7

The bucket of this application is also claimed in a divisionalapplication, Serial No. 346,590 filed March 13, 1929. In a pendingapplication, Serial No. 78,163 filed December 29, 1925, and assigned tothe assignee of the present application, the gate indicateddiagrammatically at 25 in Fig. 1 is described and claimed.

Obviously the present invention is not restricted to the particularembodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is notindispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly,since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations andsub-combinations.

What is claimed is:

1. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket; said buckethaving a body with pivoted jaws for closing the bottom thereof; meansengageable by one of the jaws and rendered effective by the weight ofthe bucket, as it is lowered to filling position with the jaws open, toclose said jaws; and means for latching the jaws when closed.

2. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket; said buckethaving a body with pivoted aws for closing the bottom thereof; a bailsecured to the bucket; a sheave on the bail; a hoist rope suspending thebucket and passing under the sheave, thereby permitting independenthoist and traverse movements of the bucket; means engageable by one ofthe jaws and rendered effective by the weight of the bucket, as it islowered to filling position with the jaws open, to close said jaws; andmeans for latching the jaws when closed.

3. A traversing hoist comprising, in com bination, a bucket, said buckethaving a body with pivoted jaws for closing the bottom thereof; tworollers mounted on each side of the bucket; means co-operating with saidrollers to guide the bucket as it is lowered to filling position; meansfor closing the jaws as the bucket reaches filling position; and meansfor latching the jaws when closed.

4:. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket; said buckethaving a body with pivoted jaws for closing the bottom thereof; tworollers mounted on each side of the bucket; means co-operating with saidrollers to guide the bucket as it is lowered to filling position; anabutment located in the path of one of the jaws as the bucket is soguided, for closing that jaw and thereby closing the other jaw; andmeans for automatically latching the jaws when closed.

5. A traversing hoistcomprising, in combination, a bucket, said buckethaving a body with pivoted aws for closing the bottom thereof; each sideof the bucket having two rollers mounted thereon, one in' rear of andabove the other; inclined guideways for receiving said rollers andguiding the bucket to filling position as it is lowered; means renderedeffective by the weight of the bucket as it is lowered to fillingposition with the jaws open, to close said jaws; and means forautomatically latching the jaws when closed.

6. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket having a bodywith pivoted jaws for closing the bottom thereof; each side of thebucket having two rollers mounted thereon, one in rear of and above theother; inclined'guideways for receiving said rollers and guiding thebucket to filling position as it is lowered; an abutment located in thepath of one of the jaws for closing the same as the bucket reachesfilling position; means operated by the closing of that jaw to close theother jaw at the same time; and means for automatically latching thejaws when closed.

7. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket having a bodywith pivoted jaws for closing the bottom thereof; an abut ment near thepoint where the bucket is to be filled; means for guiding the bucket, asit is lowered into filling position with the jaws open, so that one ofthe jaws will be engaged and closed by said abutment; means connectingthe two jaws so that both are closed simultaneously; and means forautomatically latching the jaws when closed.

8. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a bucket having a bodyhaving pivoted jaws forming the bottom thereof; means connecting saidaws for simultaneous move ment; a shoe secured to the bottom of one ofthe jaws; a roller engageable by said shoe as the bucket is lowered tofilling position; the engaging surface of said shoe being inclined sothat the weight of the bucket causes the same to ride over the rollerand close said jaws.

9. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a conveyer bucketcomprising a body; said body having a pair of opposed jaws forming thebottom thereof and having sides extending upwardly and pivoted to thesides of the body near its top; means connecting said jaws forsimultaneous opening and closing movement; and means engaged by one ofthe jaws for closing the two jaws automatically as the bucket is loweredto filling position.

10. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a conveyer bucketcomprising a body; said body having a pair of opposed jaws forming thebottom thereof and having sides extending upwardly and pivoted to thesides of the body; a shaft mounted on the underside of one of the jaws;a latch carried by each end of the shaft; a bar secured to the otherjaw; means for automatically closing the aws as the bucket approachesfilling po sition; and means for causing the latches to engage said barto lock the jaws in closed position.

11. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a conveyer bucketcomprising a body; said body having a pair of opposed jaws forming thebottom thereof and having sides extending upwardly and pivoted to thesides of the body; a shaft mounted on the underside of one of the jawsand having a latch secured to each end; a bar secured to the other jaw;an abutment near the point where the bucket is to be filled; means forguiding the bucket, as it is lowered into filling position with the jawsopen, so that one of the jaws will be engaged and closed by saidabutment; means for closing the other jaw at the same time; and meansfor causing the latches to engage said bar to lock the jaws in closedposition.

12. A conveyer bucket comprising a body, a pair of opposed aws formingthe bottom thereof and having sides extending upwardly and pivoted tothe sides of the body near its top; a link plate secured to each side ofeach jaw; and a stiff link at each side of the bucket connectin the twoplates which are at that side of the bucket, the points of connectionbetween the links and the respective plates being so located withrelation to the jaw pivots that when one jaw is open or closed the otherjaw must be correspondingly open or closed.

13. A conveyer bucket comprising a body, a pair of opposed jaws formingthe bottom thereof and having sides extending upwardly and pivoted tothe sides of the body near its top; each side of one jaw having acomparatively large triangular plate secured thereto with its apexextending toward the side of the other jaw; each side of thesecond jawhaving a smaller triangular plate secured thereto below the larger platewith its apex extending toward the side of the first j aw and a stifilink at each side having its ends pivotally connected to the apexes ofthe respective plates; said apexes being so located with relation to thejaw pivots that when one aw is open or closed the other aw must becorrespondingly open or closed.

14:. A traversing hoist comprising, in combination, a conveyer buckethaving a pivoted jaw for dumping the load; an abutment near the pointwhere the bucket is to be filled and placed in the path of the bucket;means for guiding the bucket as it is lowered into filling position sothat a jaw thereof will be engaged and closed by said abutment; and

means for latching said jaw in closed position.

15. A conveyer bucket comprising, in combination, a body open at thetop; a pair of jaws pivoted to the body near the upper end, at widelyspaced points and so constructed and arranged that when their loweredges meet the bottom of the bucket is completely closed; a linkageconnecting the two jaws so that they open and close together; a latchmounted on one of the jaws; a latch bar adj acent the lower edge of theother jaw; and a member on the jaw which carries the latch forsupporting the latch in proper position when the jaws are open; the jawbeing out of he way of the material discharged through the bottom of thebucket.

16. A conveyer bucket comprising, in combination, a body open at thetop; a pair of jaws pivoted to the body near the upper end, at widelyspaced points and so constructed and arranged that when their loweredges meet the bottom of the bucket is completely closed; a linkageconnecting the two jaws so iiei , ture.

that they open and close together; a latch mounted on one of the aWs; alatch bar adj acent the lower edge of the other aw; and a bar secured tothe lower edge of the jaw which carries the latch and reinforcing saidedge and also providing a support for the latch which is held inlatch-bar engaging position when the jaws are open.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing my own, I have hereto atfixedmy signa- AZZEL C. BENNETT.

